Method for using AIN to deliver caller ID to text/alpha-numeric pagers as well as other wireless devices, for calls delivered to wireless network

ABSTRACT

A remote call notification system for incoming calls to a wireless telecommunications device. The system includes a switch, a service control point, an intelligent server, a monitoring module, and a wireless terminating trigger used on a mobile switching center. All components are in communication with each other. The remote call notification is transmitted to a remote communication device such as a PC, an interactive pager, and a mobile phone. The call notification includes a calling number, the name of a calling party, time and date identifiers, status identifiers that provides a real-time status of the incoming communication, a disposition identifier, and a priority identifier. A remote call notification method including detecting an incoming communication to a subscriber&#39;s wireless communication device, creating a remote call notification, assigning an access address associated with a remote communication device, and forwarding the remote call notification to the remote communication device.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 60/312,138, filed Aug. 14, 2001, entitled “METHOD FOR USING AIN TODELIVER WIRELINE CALLER ID TO TEXT/ALPHA NUMERIC PAGERS AS WELL AS OTHERWIRELESS DEVICES.” This application relates to Ser. No. 09/742,765,filed Dec. 20, 2000, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING INCOMINGCOMMUNICATIONS TO A TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICE,” which is incorporatedherein by reference. This application also relates to 60/312,281, filedthe same day as the present application by Bedingfield, entitled “METHODFOR USING AIN TO DELIVER CALLER ID TO TEXT/ALPHA-NUMERIC PAGERS AS WELLAS OTHER WIRELESS DEVICES, FOR CALLS DELIVERED TO LANDLINE NETWORKS” thedisclosure of which is also incorporated herein by reference.

NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT PROTECTION

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document and its figurescontain material subject to copyright protection. The copyright ownerhas no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patentdocument or the patent disclosure, but otherwise reserves all copyrightswhatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to the field of communications. Moreparticularly, this invention manages detailed information about allincoming communications to and all outgoing communications from awireless communications device, such as a cellular phone connected tothe Cellular Mobile Telephone Network (CMTN), and delivers thisinformation to a wireless communications device, such as an alphanumericpager.

2. Description of the Related Art

The field of telecommunications has experienced explosive growth, andmore growth is planned as telecommunication access and numerouscommunication devices improve. This explosive growth is revolutionizingmessage notification and similar services. For example, U.S. Pat. No.6,006,087 discloses a method and system for delivering a voice mailnotification of a voice message left on a user's wireless servicenetwork. When a message is left in a user's mailbox assigned to theuser's cellular phone, the voice mail system generates a voice mailnotification that includes a calling number, the name of the callingparty, and an index listing various messages so that a user can scrollthrough the messages and choose a desired message to retrieve and play.The voice mail notification is forwarded to and displayed by thecellular phone operated by a user.

In today's telecommunications world, it is commonplace for users to havemultiple wired (i.e., landline) and wireless communications devicesconnected to various global telecommunications networks. For example, auser may have a first phone number assigned to a residential landlinetelephone, a second phone number assigned to a business telephone, athird phone number assigned to a mobile phone, and a fourth phone numberassigned to a wireless paging device. Thus, many users have multiplewired and wireless devices with each device having a different phonenumber and with each device connected to different messaging systems andto different communications networks.

When an incoming communication is placed to a particular communicationsdevice, a user typically has no way of knowing about that incomingcommunication if the user is away from the communications device. Usinga conventional approach, when a message is left on a messaging systemassigned to a particular communication device, the messaging systemcauses the associated communications network to set the message waitingindicator on the called communications device; however, it is incapableof setting detailed messaging information on the user's other additionalcommunications devices (wired and wireless). For example, when a messageis left on a user's mobile phone messaging network, the user's pagingdevice is incapable of providing detailed messaging informationassociated with the message left on the mobile phone messaging network.Since the purpose of having multiple communication devices is to allow auser to maintain constant communication, conventional approaches fallshort by not being able to provide the ability to deliver detailedmessaging information across all communication devices. Within the priorart, users have attempted to overcome this deficiency by utilizing afeature in voice mail systems referred to as outbound calling. Anoutbound calling feature allows a user to designate a telephone number(that may be assigned to a different communications device) that isdialed by the voice mail system during a fixed time period if a messageis waiting for the user in the voice mail system.

Using this approach, users have also designated pagers' phone numbers asthe number to be called for the outbound calling, or, have designatedthe telephone number of a wireless or landline telephone. One problemassociated with designating a pager as the device to be called by theoutbound calling is that it requires a user to carry both a pager toreceive a general notification and a cellular phone to receive thedetailed information. One problem associated with directing calls fromthe outbound calling feature to a wireless phone or a landline phone isthat the user may not wish to access or to be bothered by all detailedmessage notifications.

In addition to receiving real-time information related to messagesreceived and stored in a voice mail system, A user may also desire toknow about all incoming communications to a communications device, suchas a cellular telephone. For example, a user may desire to know if anincoming communication is being answered, if it receives a busy signal,if it is terminated, if it is forwarded to a different communicationsdevice (i.e., there currently isn't any way for a user to know about allincoming communications when a line is ringing, answered, busy, etc.,with detailed call information).

Users who miss calls would like a way to know who has called them andwhether or not that caller left a message. A user can obtain thisinformation in a proactive way by calling their voice mailsystems/answering machines at will and determining whether there are anymessages. However, this does not provide a complete list of who hascalled them, just who left a message. Some Customer Premises Equipment(CPE) is capable of paging a user when an incoming call arrives, butthis is limited to a pre-programmed set of callers they wish to benotified about. CPE is used to refer to equipment that a customerconnects to the telephone system. Moreover, CPE does not announce theCalling Name delivery (CNAM) and Caller Identification (ID) because ofthe expense involved in doing so. Also, the duration of a call that doesnot terminate at the customer's premises is unknown by the CPE (forexample, the call went to voice mail).

Thus, there is a current need for systems and methods for selecting,retrieving, storing, and managing detailed information related to allincoming communications to and all outgoing communications from alandline communications device. There is a further need to efficientlydeliver this information to a remote communications device in order toprovide real time and quasi-real time detailed message notification andsimilar information. There is still a further need to forward thecommunication or its equivalent to the remote communications device.Finally, there is a need to harmonize such information associated withmultiple landline communications devices using different messagingsystems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To overcome these problems, the present invention provides easy,reliable, and efficient methods and systems for providing detailed callinformation relating to all incoming communications to a communicationsdevice, such as a wireless phone, and delivers this information as aremote call notification to a remote communications device, such as aninteractive pager. Further, this invention includes a system thatmanages all detailed call information about all incoming communicationsto a communications device and manages how this information is deliveredand presented to the remote communications device. In an embodiment, theremote call notification is delivered in real-time or in quasireal-time, as delivery speed to the remote communications device variesdepending upon the delivery medium. The remote call notification may beautomatically forwarded to the remote communications device upon thearrival or termination of a new incoming communication. Alternatively,the remote call notification may be forwarded to the remotecommunications device using rules established by a subscriber, a callingparty, a forwarding party, an administrator, and by other constraints(e.g., availability and load of the communications link to the remotecommunications device).

In a preferred embodiment, this invention detects an incomingcommunication, such as a phone call, on a communications link to asubscriber's communications device, such as a wireless telephone. Oncean incoming message is detected, this invention creates a remote callnotification that includes detailed information about the incomingcommunication. For example, the detailed information may include: (a) acalling number; (b) a name of a calling party associated with thecalling number; (c) time identifiers that provide the times when theincoming communication is first detected and is terminated; (d) a lengthidentifier that provides the length of the incoming communication; (e) adate identifier that provides the date that the incoming communicationis received; (f) a status identifier that provides a real-time status ofthe incoming communication; (g) a disposition identifier; and (e) apriority identifier that indicates the importance of the incomingcommunication.

In one embodiment, the status identifier indicates a real-time or quasireal-time status of the incoming communication into the network of thesubscriber's communications device. For example, if the subscriber'scommunications device is a cellular phone connected to the CMTN, thenthe terminating switch in conjunction with the service control point(SCP) can report the following status identifier's: (a) ringing, (b)answered, (c) busy, and (f) disconnected.

In one embodiment, the disposition identifier provides information aboutthe remote notification itself. For example, the disposition identifiercan indicate that a remote call notification is “new” and that asubscriber has not reviewed the details of the incoming communication.Other examples of the disposition identifier include: (a) stored, (b)deleted, (c) restored, (d) forwarded, and (e) system administration

This invention assigns an access address to one or more remotecommunications devices to receive the remote call notification. Theremote communications device is any communications device capable ofdelivering remote call notification to a subscriber, such as, forexample, a landline phone, mobile phone, a cellular phone, a satellitephone, a computer, a modem, a pager, an interactive pager, a personaldigital assistant (PDA), and an interactive television. An exemplaryembodiment of an access address for a computer may be a TCP/IP address,an instant messaging screen name, or an e-mail address.

The access address to be used can be determined using a number ofdifferent methods. For example, the access address can be selected by asubscriber's preferences, by a calling party's preferences, by aforwarding party's preferences, by an administrator of thecommunications network storing the remote call notification, and by thecommunication capabilities of the remote communications device (e.g., acalling party leave a video clip message and the network forwards it toa remote communication device capable of displaying the video clip, suchas, for example, a PDA with appropriate display

After a call is received and an access address is assigned, the remotecall notification is forwarded to the remote communications device. Theremote call notification is presented to the remote communicationsdevice in a subscriber-friendly format, such as, for example, an audioformat, a text format, a short message service (SMS) format, a videoformat, or a markup language document format. Alternatively, a voiceinterface may be created so that a subscriber of a remote communicationdevice receives a remote call notification and can retrieve moreinformation about the remote call notification by dialing a phonenumber.

This invention also allows a subscriber of the remote communicationsdevice to scroll through a plurality of remote call notifications (i.e.,a log of remote call notifications), to select a particular remote callnotification to retrieve an associated communications message (e.g., avoice mail associated with the remote call notification), and to presentthe communications message on the remote communications device (e.g.,play the sound annotation of the voice mail).

Further, the log of remote call notifications may be accessed by asubscriber or another subscriber (e.g., a calling party that has left aplurality of messages). The log may be retrieved in various ways, suchas, for example, for the current day, for the previous day, for the last1000 calls, for a particular calling party, and so on. Alternatively,retrieval of the log may include a voice interface so that subscriberscan retrieve the log of remote call notifications by dialing a phonenumber.

In one embodiment, the remote call notification is delivered quasi-realtime to an interactive pager or to a personal computer in the form of aninstant message or data packet that activates an Internet CallWaiting-like pop-up screen (e.g., a pop-up web page). Similarly, theremote call log is delivered to interactive pagers, web pages, e-mail,and phone (e.g., a phone with a VXML interface). The subscriber is ableto interactively configure the remote call notification and remote calllog services through a computer connected to the world widecommunications network, such as, the Internet, intranet, or extranet.Alternatively, the subscriber can configure his/her remote callnotification services through a service representative.

Thus, this invention allows real-time remote call notification that isflexible to telecommunications subscribers having multiplecommunications devices, including multiple wireless communicationsdevice. This invention notifies a subscriber of all incomingcommunications, provides detailed information about each incomingcornmunication, allows a subscriber to manage each incomingcommunication, and provides an option to retrieve and play each incomingcommunication to a remote communications device.

This invention allows a subscriber to always know about incomingcommunications even if the line was busy, multiple calls were receivedat the same time, and if the caller hung up before the call wasanswered. This invention allows small business subscribers to alwaysknow who called and when. Further, this service is useful forsubscribers that do not like to check their voicemail often unless theyreceive an important message, especially when calling long distance tocheck their voicemail.

To summarize the primary benefits, this invention: (1) allows cellular(wireless) subscribers to know who calls them virtually anywhere; (2)allows a subscriber to obtain information from incoming calls inreal-time; (3) allows a subscriber to access a call log of recent calls;(4) indicates who called (name & number) and when (date & time), as wellas certain call dispositions (answered, length of call, busy, callabandoned, voicemail left); (5) allows a subscriber to receiveinformation about incoming calls using different devices (e.g., pagers,mobile phones, web browsers, personal computers, PDAs, etc.); and (6)allows a subscriber to customize useful configuration options (e.g.,priority and filter-out numbers, caller information delivery based oncall outcome, etc.).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the methods andsystems for using an AIN to deliver caller ID to wireless devicesutilizing landlines are better understood when the following DetailedDescription of the Invention is read with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating call flow through communication devicesin accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the Caller ID Anywhere (CIDA)service system architecture for a wireless system in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating call flow for call notification inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosedherein, however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodimentsare merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in variousand alternative forms. Specific structural and functional detailsdisclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as abasis for the claims as a representative basis for teaching one skilledin the art to variously employ the present invention. Conventionalhardware and systems are shown in block diagram form and process stepsare shown in flowcharts.

The term “calling party” is used herein generally to refer to the personor device that initiates a telecommunication. The calling party may alsobe referred to herein as “caller.” In some examples, the calling partymay not be a person, but may be a device such as a facsimile machine, ananswering machine, a modem, etc. The term “called party” is used hereingenerally to refer to the person or device that answers or responds tothe call or communication. The term “communication” is used herein toinclude all messages or calls that may be exchanged between a callingparty and a called party, including, voice, video, and data messages.The term “communication” is used synonymously herein with the term“call” unless a distinction is noted. The term “subscriber” is usedherein to generally refer to a subscriber of the describedtelecommunications service. The term “Internet” refers to both theInternet and an intranet, unless a distinction is noted. Similarly, theterm “Internet-accessible device” refers to a data communications devicethat has the capability to access the Internet or an intranet.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a newtelecommunications service referred to as Call ID Anywhere (CIDA) (alsoreferred to as Calling Name Anywhere or Remote Call ID). In brief, thisservice allows a customer to obtain calling number and name, date & timeof call, and call outcome information away from the cellular phone to bemonitored. The service actually consists of two main components: RemoteCall Notification (RCN), and Remote Call Log(RCL).

In one embodiment, the RCN service delivers information of an incomingcall in quasi real time (delivery speed depending on the deliverymedium). The information is sent automatically upon the arrival and/ortermination of a new call. The information about the incoming call canbe delivered as a web page, as an e-mail, as a Short Messaging Service(SMS) message, etc. If the information is delivered via an e-mail, thenotification can be sent to an e-mail account, alphanumeric pager,interactive pager, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), and given properprocessing to an SMS-capable phone. If the information is delivered viaa web page, more than one call state can be reported, e.g., ringing,answered, busy, hang up. The call information consists of the name andnumber of the caller (if available), date and time of the call, as wellas additional information if available.

In one embodiment, the RCL service consists of a log of recent calls.The information in the call log can be sent to the subscriberautomatically (periodically), but in most cases, the subscriberretrieves the information as desired. As with the RCN service, the calllog includes essential call information such as the name and number ofthe caller, as well as the date and time of the call. Additionalinformation, such as the length of each call, can also be included ifavailable. The delivery methods for the call log information are thesame as with the RCN service. In addition, the RCL service includes avoice interface so that subscribers can retrieve call log information bydialing a telephone number. Call log information can be retrieved forthe current day, previous day, etc.

Briefly, the Caller ID Anywhere service of the present invention worksin the following way. For call notification, a subscriber receives acall to his/her phone. The service checks to determine how the customerdesires to be notified about the call, namely, via interactive pager,e-mail, and/or via a page that pops-up in the subscriber's computerscreen. If notification is to occur via interactive pager (e-mail), theservice waits until the call ends and then sends a page (aspecially-formatted e-mail) to the interactive pager. If notification isto occur via PC, the service opens a window on the designated PC, whichthe subscriber has designated beforehand. Up to several PC updates maybe sent per call event: one as soon as a new call is received; anotherwhen the phone is answered or it is determined that the line is busy;and one when the call ends, indicating the final outcome of the call(e.g., voice-mail left or call length). The PC window may be activatedusing special CIDA client software, or using a java-based browserinterface.

For call log requests, a subscriber can request call log information atany time. To retrieve call logs using an interactive pager, a subscribersends a Short Message to a predefined address. The message contains acommand to specify the record(s) to be retrieved. If a web browser isused, the subscriber logs into a web page for the service and requeststhe desired record(s). A subscriber also has the option of calling anumber and then following instructions for the retrieval of the callrecord(s), either by listening to the record(s), or by requesting thatthe record(s) be sent to a fax number.

According to one embodiment, the systems of the present inventionutilize the intelligent functionality of an Intelligent Network (IN). AnIN is a network which can be used in conjunction with a conventionaltelephone network, such as the Cellular Mobile Telephone Network (CMTN),to provide enhanced voice and data services and dynamic routingcapabilities

Referring to FIG. 1, looking at the CIDA service of the presentinvention briefly, the service allows subscribers to know who calls themno matter where the subscriber is located. The service allows asubscriber to obtain information regarding incoming calls from a callerdevice 20 in real-time, or quasi real-time, and have access to a calllog of recent calls. The service indicates who called (name and number)a subscriber telephone 22 and when (date and time), as well as certaincall dispositions (answered, length of call, busy, call abandoned, andvoice-mail left). The caller information is accessed using a number ofsubscriber devices, such as an personal computer 24, an interactivepager 26, a personal digital assistant (PDA) 28, a landline telephone30, etc.

Referring to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, call-processing architecture inwhich the CIDA service of the present invention is provided to cellular(wireless) subscribers is shown. The main hardware/software componentsof the CIDA service include a home Mobile Switching Center (MSC) 40,Service Control Point (SCP) 42, CIDA server 44, Service Switching Point(SSP) 60, and an Intelligent Peripheral, such as a Compact Service Node(CSN) 48.

The home MSC 40 of the subscriber's line is equipped with a WIN, CAMEL,or other wireless termination attempt trigger (TAT) 50, or any othersuitable terminating trigger, such as a dialed number trigger. The TAT50 is provisioned on the subscriber's cellular service. Upon receiving acall, the TAT 50 fires and the switch, using the appropriate wirelessprotocol, requests instructions from the SCP 42 as to how to proceedwith the call. The SCP 42 responds with an authorize termination. TheSCP 42 requests from the switch that it is notified about subsequentchanges in the call state (i.e., busy, answer, disconnect) as soon asthese happen. (The availability of such notifications will be dependenton the particular wireless IN implementation, and potentially on theroaming status of the subscriber). When a change in the call stateoccurs, the home MSC 40 notifies the SCP 42 immediately

The SCP 42 handles queries from the TAT 50. The SCP 42, by communicatingwith the subscriber's MSC 40, keeps track of call events related to thesubscriber's wireless service, and notifies the CIDA server 44appropriately. The SCP 42 responds to the TAT 50 query with anappropriate termination instruction, and requests to be notifiedwhenever there is a change in the status of the call (e.g. it requeststermination notification). The SCP 42 is also aware of the differentpossible status of a call, namely, ringing, busy, answer, anddisconnect. Whenever there is a change in the status of the call, theSCP 42 sends a message to the associated CIDA server 44 to notify thischange. The SCP 42 is provisioned one-time with the CIDA server IPaddress, assuming TCP/IP connectivity 52 is used. For each newsubscriber, the SCP 42 is provisioned with the new subscriber number andany pertinent additional information so that the SCP 42 can respond tothe TAT 50 query. Also, the SCP 42 generates measurements which may needto be retrieved periodically.

The CIDA server 44 serves as web host for the CIDA service, keepingsubscriber information as well as all call records. All callnotifications originate from the CIDA server 44. The CIDA server 44 alsohandles and serves all requests for call log information fromsubscribers. The CIDA server 44 also communicates with the CSN 48 andreceives data from the voice mail system, over the VMS interface 46. TheCIDA server 44 is the main component of the CIDA service. In brief, theCIDA server 44 is a data repository, web server, administration server,CSN server, and e-mail server. The CIDA server 44 receives and processescall state updates from the SCP 42, receives and processes voice-mailnotifications from the Voice Mail Interface 46, performs administrativefunctions for subscribers, returns queries for call log information backto the subscriber with the appropriate data (queries in the form ofe-mails or queries through a web page), and notifies subscribers ofpertinent call events according to the device(s) that are specified bythe subscriber. At a minimum, the CIDA server 44 is provisioned with thetelephone numbers for the CIDA subscriptions. Also, depending upon thesubscribers' preferences, parameters may be provisioned as well whenentering a new subscriber, such as devices 54 and their electronicaddresses that are supported for call notification and call log(e.g.,SMS service addresses, interactive pagers, e-mail accounts) in additionto a web browser, and maximum call log capacity if an active subscriberhas requested an expanded call log.

The CSN 48 is used to provide an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) orVoice Extensible Markup Language (VXML) interface for retrieving calllog information. The CSN 48 allows subscribers of the CIDA service toobtain call log information over the phone. For each session (i.e., foreach call to the CSN 48), the CSN 48 is in constant communication andrequests subscriber data from the CIDA server 44. The CSN 48 verifiesthat the calling party is calling from the subscribed phone and has theproper Personal Identification Number (PIN). The CSN 48 also allows asubscriber to check the call log or to request that a call log be sentto a fax number. The CSN 48 asks the subscriber which log is to beplayed/sent (e.g., today's, yesterday's, or for a specific day). Asubscriber is able to fast forward, skip back or forward, or even erasecall log entries. Call log entries may be erased for the IVR interface.Erased call log entries may be erased for convenience for the IVRinterface, but may still be available over the Internet. Up to about 100caller records may be retrieved over the IVR interface. The IVRinterface also has an option that allows a subscriber to provide a faxnumber where call log information can be sent. Aside from initialservice provider access and load and communication with the CIDA server44, no additional provisioning is required.

The VMS interface 46 is attached to the Voice-Mail Service (VMS)platforms 58 that serve an appropriate region. The voice mail system,using interface 46, notifies the CIDA server 44 when it “sees” that avoice-mail platform 58 is notifying a home switch to turn on voice-mailwaiting notification for a specific subscriber. In summary, the voicemail platform communicates new voice mail information (calling number,message indicator, length of message, etc.) directly to the CIDA server44.

Once the CIDA service of the present invention is provisioned on asubscriber's line, the CIDA server 44 automatically begins logging callsto the subscriber's line. CIDA functions and options may be initiallyset to an initial default level of monitoring. Multiple methods areprovided to administer the whole or parts of the service. Using theservice for the first time, a subscriber can access a CIDA webadrministration page, or can call a service representative to set up andstart the service.

The different interfaces needed for the CIDA service include RCN andRCL. The RCN interface includes: (1) a web or PC client page thatnotifies a subscriber of a new call, the interface presents data and mayoffer a number of action buttons; (2) an interactive pager notificationfor the presentation of data in e-mail; and (3) web page-basedadministration of the service, which is accomplished using acomprehensive interface that allows the subscriber to control andcustomize the RCN service. The RCL interface includes: (1) a web pagethat provides several options (e.g., numbers to filter, time window,etc.) for the display of call log data; and (2) a touchtone-basedinterface for playing call log data using an IVR. The interface alsoprovides an option to request that call records be sent to a faxmachine.

Referring to FIG. 3, call flows for call notification, a calling partyfirst calls a number that subscribes to the CIDA Service in Step 100.When call setup reaches the final MSC 40 (the wireless switch for thatsubscriber), a TAT 50 for that number is triggered in Step 102. A queryis then sent to the SCP 42 in Step 104. In Step 106, the SCP 42 respondsto the switch authorizing termination, and in addition, requests ananswer and termination notification. In Step 108, the SCP 42 then sendsa message to the CIDA server 44 immediately notifying the server 44 of anew call arrival. In Step 110, as soon as the SCP 42 hears from the MSCabout a change in the status of the call (answered, call dropped,disconnect, busy), the SCP 42 notifies the CIDA server 44 of a change instatus. In Step 112, when the CIDA server 44 is notified of a new call,the CIDA server 44 checks the administration records of the subscriberto determine if the server 44 is required to notify a device 54 of thenew call arrival. If so, in Step 114, the CIDA server 44 sends a messageto the subscriber's pre-determined personal computer 24 so that thecomputer 24 can open a window describing the new call. The changes instatus of a call may result in additional messages being sent by theCIDA server 44. In Step 116, the end of a call can result in a messagebeing sent to the subscriber's previously selected device 54 (e.g.,interactive pager, e-mail, SMS phone, etc.). The CIDA server 44 can alsoreceive messages from the VMS interface 46 in order to determine if arecently ended call resulted in a voice-mail left for the subscriber.

A subscriber can retrieve call log information by either accessing anInternet-connected device (e.g., computer with web browser, interactivepager, SMS phone, etc.), or, by calling a phone number that provides anIVR or VXML interface for the retrieval of the call log information. Theretrieval of call log information data through an Internet-connecteddevice generally does not require making a phone call specifically forthis purpose. Rather, the subscriber is able to request data byaccessing a web site and “clicking” for the desired information, or bysending a request by other means, e.g., by sending an SMS message with acommand to request this data.

If a subscriber desires to retrieve call log information via phone,he/she can call a phone number that terminates on a CSN 48. The CSN 48includes an IVR/VXML interface that is operable for aiding a caller innavigating different options when retrieving call log information. Also,the IVR/VXML main menu may provide a “fax option”. For this option, thesubscriber may enter a phone number, and call log information isautomatically faxed to this number.

Administrative functions for the CIDA service can be performed from aweb browser by accessing a CIDA administration page, the IVR/VXMLinterface (only pertinent to call log retrieval through the IVR/VXMLinterface, including FAX requests), and an interactive pager in the formof specially formatted e-mails (e-mail-based administration will onlyaffect call notification and call log retrieval through the interactivepager).

In order to access the web-based administration page, a subscriber needsto enter the subscribed phone number as well as a PIN. At a minimum, asubscriber will find the following functions and options available: (1)the ability to turn the whole CIDA service “ON” or “OFF”. Default is“OFF”; (2) the ability to change a PIN; (3) there will be columns foreach supported device (interactive pager, PC, e-mail); (4) pull-downmenus that lists when the service should be “ON”: e.g. standard (alltimes), weekdays only (Mo-Fr), weekends only (Sa, Su), notification forparticular device “OFF” (default); (5) a field that allows a subscriberto change his/her e-mail address; (6) for the interactive pager ande-mail columns, the subscriber can set a checkmark so that callnotification will occur depending upon the call event detected (e.g.answered calls, unanswered calls, busy calls, and calls that resulted invoice-mail). The default setting is that all of these boxes will bechecked; (7) for the PC column, the subscriber can set a checkmark sothat notifications(s) can occur as soon as the following call events aredetected: 1) Ringing, 2) Call Answered, 3) Busy detected, 4) Hang up, 5)Voice-mail detected. The default setting is that all of these boxes willbe checked; (8) the ability to set “priority numbers” for each device.When a call is received from a priority number, it overrides thesettings in 6 & 7, and the notification is allowed. Also, for numbersentered that have less than 10 digits, a wildcard character, such as“*”, can be assumed at the end of the last digit; and (9) the ability toset “filter-out numbers” for each device. When a call is received from afilter-out number, no notification is sent to the device. The wildcardcharacters mentioned above can also be applicable for filter-outnumbers.

The call log administration page can be accessed through the callnotification administration page. This paragraph presents examples ofthe controls that are available for subscribers that want the log to besent to their interactive pager or to a specific e-mail address. At aminimum, the following functions and options are available to thesubscriber for both the interactive pager and the specific e-mailaddress: (1) the ability to change the e-mail address (not available forinteractive pagers); (2) the ability to set a “filter-out number” foreach device. These are numbers that are used to filter-out the call logrecords before they are sent. Wildcard characters “*” and “?” can alsobe used; (3) the ability to set the maximum number of records that canbe sent; (4) the ability to set “show-only number”. When this option ischosen, only records that contain the “show-only number” are sent.Wildcard characters “*” and “?” can also be used; and (5) the ability toset the following delivery options: 1) Now, 2) Daily (and time), Weekly(what day Mo-Su and time), and Monthly (what day and time).

A small number of administration functions are provided for subscribersthat use an IVR/VXML interface, such as password change and fax numberchange (where the call log can be sent). Administration functions arealso provided to subscribers that receive call notification and/or calllogs through their pager. The administration functions execute bysending an e-mail from the registered pager or e-mail address to thee-mail addresses that delivers the call notifications and the call logs,which includes a simple command in the subject line. For multiplecommands, the body of the e-mail may be used. All commands sent, ifproperly executed, receive a confirmation. A sample of commands that canbe sent are as follows:

For Call Notification:

NOTIFICATION [ON, OFF, WEEDAY, WEEKEND] (blank returns current ON/OFFstate of notification service)

FILTEROUT [numbers(s)]

CANCEL FILTEROUT [number(s)] (blank will delete all current filter-outnumbers)

PRIORITY [numbers(s)]

CANCEL PRIORTY [NUMBERS(S)] (blank will delete all current prioritynumbers) For Call Log:

LOG LIMIT [number]

SEND LOG [TODAY, YESTERDAY, MM/DD/YY] (blank sends current call log upto maximum number of records specified in LOG LIMIT]

FILTEROUT [number(s)]

CANCEL FILTEROUT [number(s)] (blank will delete all current filter-outnumbers)

SHOW ONLY [number(s)]

CANCEL SHOW ONLY [numbers(s)] (blank will delete all current prioritynumbers)

When PC-based call notification has been set, a pop-up window may appearon the screen according to the settings described above. For a givencall, there may be several windows displayed on the screen,corresponding to: call ringing, call busy, call answered, calldisconnect, voice-mail left. Each new screen may replace the previousscreen. The notifications are sent as soon as the call event isdetected, so that if possible, notifications will appear in real-time.Depending upon the call state, the name and number of the caller(“Private” or “Unknown” may appear instead when the calling number isblocked or unknown), the date and time of event, and the call state (ifthe call state is “disconnect”, the total call time will be displayed aswell) may be displayed on the screen.

General controls may also appear under the screen, such as “Close” whichcloses the window, “View Log” which opens web page, “Suspend” whichsuspends the delivery of call notification information; this buttonafter pressed may be replaced with “Resume”, and “Edit” which brings upthe call notification administration page.

For interactive pager or e-mail notification, only the “last state” ofthe call (i.e. busy, disconnect, or voice-mail left) may be reported. Inaddition to the “last state”, and as described above, the name andnumber of the caller as well as the date and time of the event isrecorded. If the calling number is blocked or unknown, then “Private” or“Unknown” may appear instead of the calling name and number. Forexample, for calls which last more than 6 minutes, a notification may besent indicating that the length of the call is over 6 minutes. Thisdescription may be used instead of a description of the last state ofthe call.

In one embodiment, for each subscriber, an internal database keeps callrecords. For example, for high call volume subscribers, the last onethousand or so calls may be recorded to the subscriber number. For lowcall volume subscribers, for example, only about one hundred records maybe recorded to the subscriber number. Old call records may be deletedaccording to a first-in first-out (FIFO) discipline. Call log retrievalfunctions (through either the web, IVR/VXML interface, pager, or e-mail)are not affected by the number of records stored in the database. Thecall log displays the final state of the call. The information for eachrecord consists of the name and number of the caller, (“Private” or“Unknown” may appear instead when the calling number is blocked orunknown), the date and time when the call was received, the date andtime when the call ended, and the final outcome of call: abandoned,answered, busy, voice-mail, etc. For answered and voice-mail calls, thetotal time of the call may be appended.

Calls may be ordered according to the date and time when the call wasreceived. For calls that are longer than 6 minutes, for example, aprovisional record is created when the call reaches the 6 minute mark.This record is updated later when the call ends. For call log retrievalthrough the web, a scrollable window with all of the available callrecords is provided. The following filter controls are available so thatthe subscriber can narrow the number of records that are displayed(these filters are set to OFF by default): (1) call record extraction bydate: From mm/dd/yy at hh to mm/dd/yy at hh; (2) show only numbers(wildcard characters “*” and “?” are allowed); (3) filter-out numbers(wildcard characters “*” and “?” are allowed); and (4) show calls withthe following outcome: abandoned, answered, busy, voice-mail, etc.

Subscribers can retrieve call log information by calling a designatednumber. The subscriber is able to retrieve the call log for “Today”,“Yesterday”, or for a specific date. The call log information includesthe name and number of the caller and the date and time of the call. Ifthere is more than one call from a given number, there is an indicationabout the number of calls that have been received by this number, andonly the date and the time of the last call is reported. In other wordsthe behavior is similar to that of a conventional caller ID box. If thecalling number is blocked or unknown, then “Private” or “Unknown” isreported to the caller. To save time during future calls, thesubscriber, while listening to the call record, is able to “delete” callrecords. The deletion of these records only affects the IVR/VXMLinterface, since the records that reside in the CIDA server 44 are notaffected.

In one embodiment, call log information received through an interactivepager or e-mail includes the same information as the call records thatare viewed using a web browser, such as the name and number of thecaller, the date and time when the call was received, the date and timewhen the call ended, and the final outcome of call. Records for busycalls only include the date and time when the call was received. Calllogs to a pager or e-mail address can be received automatically or canbe requested, also, certain filters can be used to narrow the amount ofcall records that are requested.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described indetail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that thedisclosed embodiments may be modified. Therefore, the foregoingdescription is to be considered exemplary rather than limiting, and thetrue scope of the invention is that defined in the following claims.

1. A remote call notification system, comprising: means for detecting anincoming communication on a communications link to a subscriber'scommunication device, wherein the means for detecting the communicationis in communication with the communication device by the communicationlink; means for monitoring the status of the incoming communication; andintelligent server in communication with means for detecting an incomingcommunication, the intelligent server originating the remote callnotification and automatically initiating a communication of the remotecall notification to a remote communications device, the remote callnotification comprising (1) a calling number associated with theincoming communication, (2) a name of a calling party associated withthe calling number, (3) a first time identifier that provides the timethat the incoming communication is first detected, (4) a second timeidentifier that provides the time that incoming communication isterminated, (5) a length identifier that provides the length of theincoming communication, (6) a date identifier that provides the datethat incoming communication is received, (7) a status identifier thatprovides a real-time status of the incoming communication, (8) adisposition identifier that provides a disposition of the incomingcommunication, and (9) a priority that indicates the importance of theincoming communication; a module in communication with the intelligentserver operable for monitoring traffic in a communication network ofvoice-mail platforms that serve a service area of the intelligentserver; and interface means for providing an Interactive Voice Response(IVR) and a Voice Extensible Markup Language (VXML) interface forretrieving call log information, wherein the interface means allows thesubscriber to check the call log and to request that the call log besent to a fax number, and wherein the subscriber can erase one or morecall log entries on the IVR interface such that the one or more erasedcall log entries are still available over the Internet via the VXMLinterface.
 2. The system of claim 1, the intelligent server furtherserving subscriber requests for information of a call log, updating themodule, performing administrative functions for the subscriber,returning queries for the call log information with appropriate data,and notifying the subscriber of pertinent call events according to theremote communications device specified by the subscriber.
 3. The systemof claim 1, further comprising: means for presenting the remote callnotification to the remote communications device in a format, whereinthe format comprises an audio format, a text format, a short messageformat, a video format, and a markup language format.
 4. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the remote communications device comprises a wirelesstelephone, a cellular telephone, a computer, a pager, and a personaldigital assistant.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote callnotification is communicated through the communications network to anaccess address associated with the remote communications device usingwireless communication signals.
 6. The system of claim 1, the statusidentifier comprising a call state of the communications device, thecall state comprising idle, ringing, answered, busy, and disconnected.7. The system of claim 1, the disposition identifier comprising new,stored, deleted, restored, and forwarded.
 8. The system of claim 1,wherein the communications network comprises a celestial communicationsnetwork and a terrestrial communications network.
 9. The system of claim1, further comprising: means for scrolling through a plurality of theremote call notifications presented on the remote communications device;means for selecting one of the remote call notifications to retrieve acommunications message of the incoming communication; and means forpresenting the communications message of the incoming message on theremote communications device.
 10. A remote call notification method,comprising: detecting an incoming communication on a communications linkto a subscriber's wireless communication device; creating a remote callnotification, the remote call notification comprising (1) a callingnumber associated with the incoming communication, (2) a name of acalling party associated with the calling number, (3) a first timeidentifier that provides the time that incoming communication if firstdetected, (4) a second time identifier that provides the time that theincoming communication, (6) a dated identifier that provides the datethat the incoming communication is received, (7) a status identifierthat provides a real-time status of the incoming communication, (8) adisposition identifier that provides a disposition of the incomingcommunication, and (9) a priority identifier that indicates theimportance of the incoming communication; determining an access addressassociated with a remote communication device; automatically sending theremote call notification through a communications network to the accessaddress associated with the remote communication device; presenting theremote call notification to the remote communication device in a format,wherein the format comprises and audio format, a text format, a shortmessage service format, a video format, and a markup formats andproviding an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and a Voice ExtensibleMarkup Language (VXML) interface for retrieving call log informationwherein the interface means allows the subscriber to check the call logand to request that the call log be sent to a fax number, and whereinthe subscriber can erase one or more call log entries on the IVRinterface such that the one or more erased call log entries are stillavailable over the Internet via the VXML interface.
 11. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the remote communication device comprises a wirelessphone, a cellular phone, a computer, a pager, and a personal digitalassistant.
 12. The method of claim 11, the pager comprises aninteractive pager, the interactive pager communicating the remote callnotification.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the remote callnotification is communicated through the communications network to theaccess address associated with the remote communication device usingwireless communication signals.
 14. The method of claim 10, the statusidentifier comprising a call state of the communications device, thecall state comprising idle, ringing, answered, busy, and disconnected.15. The method of claim 10, the disposition identifier comprising adescription of a disposition of the remote notification, the dispositioncomprising new, stored, deleted, restored, forwarded, and systemadministration.
 16. The method of claim 10, wherein the communicationsnetwork comprises a celestial communications network and a terrestrialcommunications network.
 17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:associating the access address with a plurality of communicationsdevices.
 18. The method of claim 10, further comprising: scrollingthrough a plurality of the remote call notifications presented on theremote communication device; selecting one of the remote callnotifications to retrieve a communications message of the incomingcommunication; and presenting the communications message of the incomingmessage on the remote communication device.
 19. The method of claim 10,further comprising: creating a call log associated with the remote callnotification; and retrieving the call log; wherein retrieving the calllog comprises one of the following: retrieval via a web page, retrievalvia wireless, retrieval via Interactive Voice Response (IVR), andretrieval via FAX.
 20. The system of claim 1, the means for detectingthe incoming communication on the communications link to thesubscriber's communication device comprising a wireless terminatingtrigger used on mobile switching center, the wireless terminatingtrigger communicating with the mobile switching center to detect theincoming communication to the subscriber's communications device, thesubscriber's communications device comprising a wireless communicationsdevice.
 21. The method of claim 10, the step of detecting the incomingcommunication on the communications link to the subscriber'scommunication device further compromising detecting and answeredcommunications link with the subscriber's communication device.